Seongsan-dong Catholic Church

Overview

Seongsan-dong Church is a parish belonging to the 2 Seodaemun-Mapo District in the Central Seoul Region of the Archdiocese of Seoul, located in Seongsan-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul. It was separated and established from Yanghwajin Parish on August 21, 1981, and its patrons are the 103 Korean Martyrs.

History

[Establishment] According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, in early 1980, Father John Kim Mong-eun, pastor of Yanghwajin Parish, facing growing difficulties due to a wide pastoral jurisdiction and a rapid increase in the number of the faithful, announced a plan to divide the parish in October of that year after consulting the pastoral council. On January 21 of the following year, he purchased 308 pyeong of the current parish site, and on August 21 Seongsan-dong Parish was established with Father Joseph Park Seong-gu appointed as its first pastor. After celebrating the first Mass on September 13, a temporary prefabricated building was used as the church.

[Construction of the new church] Construction of the new church began on August 15, 1983, but was delayed when part of the construction fund was used the following summer as flood relief donations for Mangwon-dong. Only on May 4, 1986 was the 973-pyeong church (on a 610-pyeong site) completed and its dedication ceremony held.

[Pastoral ministry under successive pastors] Under the 2 pastor, Father Nereo Kim Ja-mun, home visits and the revitalization of districts continued, increasing the number of the faithful by about 3,000, while he took the lead in the pro-life movement and provided scholarships and living subsidies to needy neighbors in the district. Under the 3 pastor, Father Dionysius Kim Jeong-jik, the statue of the Virgin Mary was re-erected and a home altar-server system was introduced, the Legion of Mary groups were reorganized by area to work for the return of lapsed Catholics and the increase of catechumens, and a new rectory was prepared at 2-2, Seogyo-dong, Mapo-gu. The 4 pastor, Father Joseph Kim Byeong-il, focused on revitalizing youth ministry, and in preparation for a future division of the parish, established at 137-3, Seongsan-dong, on the 3 floor of Seowon Building, the ‘Seongsan 2-dong Catholic mission chapel’ (100 pyeong), celebrating its first Mass on May 23, 1999.

[Church statistics and successive pastors] The number of the faithful was 2,528 at the time of the parish establishment, in 1984 3,796, in 1987 6,487, in 1991 7,397, in 1994 8,586, and in 1997 8,323. The successive pastors listed in the encyclopedia are the first, Joseph Park Seong-gu (1981. 9~1986. 8), the 2, Nereo Kim Ja-mun (1986. 8~1992. 10), the 3, Dionysius Kim Jeong-jik (1992. 10~1996. 10), and the 4, Joseph Kim Byeong-il (1996. 10~).

Jurisdiction and Affiliation

The jurisdiction recorded in the encyclopedia covers all of Seongsan 1-dong and 2-dong and Mangwon 1-dong and 2-dong, as well as Hapjeong-dong and parts of Seogyo-dong, and the affiliated mission chapel is, in Seongsan 2-dong, 1 location(s). The online directory of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea lists its diocese as the Archdiocese of Seoul, its region and district as the 2 Seodaemun-Mapo District in the Central Seoul Region, its establishment date as 1981.08.21, and its patrons as the 103 Korean Martyrs.

Related Places and People

• Yanghwajin Parish (now Seogyo-dong Parish): The mother parish from which Seongsan-dong Parish was separated.
• Father John Kim Mong-eun: As pastor of Yanghwajin Parish, he planned the division of the parish.
• Father Joseph Park Seong-gu: The first pastor.
• Seongsan 2-dong Catholic mission chapel: The mission chapel where the first Mass was celebrated on May 23, 1999.

References and Sources

1. Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, “Seongsan-dong Parish”. Separated and established from Yanghwajin Parish on August 21, 1981, patrons the 103 Korean Martyrs, jurisdiction and mission chapels, church statistics, successive priests, process of parish division and construction and dedication of the church, and pastoral ministry under successive pastors.
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/3382
2. Online directory of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea, “Seongsan-dong”. Affiliated diocese and district (the 2 Seodaemun-Mapo District in the Central Seoul Region), establishment date 1981.08.21, and patrons.
   https://directory.cbck.or.kr/OnlineAddress/Catholic/DetailInfo.aspx?cgubn=c&char=all&code=201000145&gubn=4&gubn2=all&gyogu=201000011